


No One Else

by Madiedoodle



Series: The Good and the Bad [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes is a hopeless romantic, M/M, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Their first valentines day together, Valentine's Day, plus a couple of the Valentine's Days after, the Avengers love their sappy romance stories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 09:25:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6000787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madiedoodle/pseuds/Madiedoodle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Valentines Day had always been a pretty bad day for Steve. It was the most romantic day of the year, the day where you were meant to be with the one you love. And it was the day of the year that he was forced to spend the least amount of time with Bucky as possible. At first it was to keep Bucky from noticing just how Steve felt. And later, when they had FINALLY realized their own feelings for each other, it was for their own safety. And so Steve had very few good Valentine’s Day memories. </p><p>He did have some good Valentine’s Day memories though, once he and Bucky had finally gotten their shit together and figured out their goddamn feelings. (Sam’s words actually, he had heard this story so many times that he had a full commentary for it.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	No One Else

**Author's Note:**

> Another Tumblr prompt, with more holiday themes, so hope you enjoy this one!

Valentines Day had always been a pretty bad day for Steve. It was the most romantic day of the year, the day where you were meant to be with the one you love. And it was the day of the year that he was forced to spend the least amount of time with Bucky as possible. At first it was to keep Bucky from noticing just how Steve felt. And later, when they had FINALLY realized their own feelings for each other, it was for their own safety. And so Steve had very few good Valentine’s Day memories. 

He did have some good Valentine’s Day memories though, once he and Bucky had finally gotten their shit together and figured out their goddamn feelings. (Sam’s words actually, he had heard this story so many times that he had a full commentary for it.) 

It was a well-known fact that James Buchanan Barnes is a hopeless romantic and a big softy, always had been and always would be, and ESPECIALLY when it came to one Steven Grant Rogers. Even before they were together, before they realized that they were mutually pining instead of pining individually, Bucky Barnes had been trying his damnedest to make Steve as happy as possible, and subtly feeding his own need to romance Steve without making it too obvious. Except for Valentine’s Day of 1937, The Year Bucky Royally Fucked Up and Made Everything Gay (as now dubbed by Clint). 

The Ultimate Romance of Steve and BuckyTM started that Valentine’s Day, when Bucky decided to give Steve the best day ever. It started with Cony Island, which may not have been Bucky’s best idea ever but it certainly made Steve smile (in between dizzy spells and puking) and so Bucky counted it as a win. The bonus was the way Bucky got to hold Steve in his arms, and though it was on the pretext of keeping him on his feet that didn’t make it feel any less good. And if Steve leaned into Bucky a little bit more than he actually needed to, there was no one who would notice. 

Next was a romantic stroll around town, during which Bucky bought as many of the things that caught Steve’s eye as they could afford. He had been saving up for that Valentine’s Day, and Steve was too euphoric to notice how much Bucky was spending. 

It wasn’t until they got to the dance hall and had started the first dance together that the true romance started to happen. 

“I know there’s probably someone else you’d rather be spendin’ the day with Stevie, so I guess you can just image I’m her, if you want.” Bucky said, almost glumly but with a smile pasted on his face. Steve’s head snapped up and he looked incredulously into Bucky’s eyes.

“I was about to say the same to you. The ladies ain’t exactly my forte but I figured you’d have a lucky dame to take around for a nice day out.” Steve said, and Bucky shook his head, taking a deep breath and tightening his grip on Steve’s hands. 

“There’s no one else I’d rather spend today with, punk.” Bucky said, smile genuine and eyes shining as at first he gazed at Steve and then quickly looked away.

It took all Steve had not to stop dancing then and there, breath heaving and startled, but he kept dancing, staring at his partner as he processed the possible meaning of what Bucky was saying. He knew it was probably wishful thinking, but that sounded like a reciprocation of feelings. 

“You would rather spend Valentine’s Day with me?” Steve said, voice almost a hoarse whisper, and Bucky looked back at him. He looked almost scared, and Steve held his breath as he anticipated what Bucky would say next.

“I’d rather spend every day with you.” Bucky said, voice even, his outward calm only betrayed by the way he missed a step in the dance. Steve faltered then, stumbling into Bucky’s chest, and the taller man caught him easily. 

“We should go home.” Steve said, grabbing Bucky’s hand and pulling him out of the dance hall, completely ignored by the dancing couples and hopeful singles that remained. Steve didn’t let go of Bucky’s hand as he pulled them from street to street, until they were headed up the stairs and finally entering their shared apartment. The second the door was closed Steve turned to look at Bucky, but stopped short when he saw how panicked he looked. 

“I’ll pack up and leave, I’m sorry Stevie.” Bucky said, and Steve blinked as he tried to process what was happening now.

“Why in the world would you do that Buck?” he said, stepping closer to Bucky until he was looking up at him, completely in his space. Bucky took a sharp intake of breath, looking down with a look of confusion as Steve put his hands on Bucky’s shoulders.

“You’re not…..you’re not gonna kick me out?” Bucky stuttered, and Steve shook his head, trying to piece together what he should say next.

“I’d rather spend every day with you too, you jerk.” He said finally, and realization dawned in Bucky’s eyes when he realized the meaning, realized what was happening. Hesitantly he reached out and touched Steve’s face, running a thumb on his cheek before leaning in for a kiss. 

It was an awkward first kiss, Bucky trapped in the corner with one foot caught in the umbrella holder, leaning forward to kiss Steve. And despite the awkward angles it was perfect, a perfect first kiss for them, and there was nothing wrong with awkward beginnings. 

The awkwardness soon bled out of that aspect of their life, becoming routine and solid and comforting, and they got four more perfect Valentine’s Days together before the war. Though Steve had pneumonia on Valentine’s Day 1938, their time together made it perfect as Bucky enacted scene after scene of the play they had planned on seeing, voices high and low and singing absolutely off pitch half of the time, but it was perfect as Steve laid in the bed they shared. 

1939 found Bucky working the entire day, covering shift after shift to try to pay the bills, and coming home to Steve curled up on a chair at the table, blanket wrapped around him and candle illuminating his hair and face, and to Bucky he looked like an angel. By then dinner was cold and so was Steve, and so they laid in bed, cuddled together and munching on the fried potatoes that Mrs. Z had sent over earlier in the day. 

1940 was a stormy day and so they stayed inside, curled up together, Bucky reading aloud from the book that he’d gotten from the neighbor as Steve sketched, the pencils Bucky had gifted him going to good use as he sketched Bucky’s profile, his face, his hands, his eyes. (These were the drawings that never made it into the Smithsonian, kept preserved in a box until the day Steve Rogers came back to the world. These were the drawings that had made Steve break down as he laid them out on the table, fingers brushing over every aspect of the man he had loved, the man he had let fall. The drawings that Bucky found in Steve’s desk, tear stained, the drawings that had sparked memories of loving days spent together.) 

1941 was more tense as they waited for news of war, the uncertainty that they both feared, though Steve dreamed of fighting against the Nazis. Valentine’s Day of 1941 was spent tangled together, wrapped in each other and wondering how long it would last. And yet it was good, dancing in the kitchen to the music they could hear straining through the thin walls of the building (Mrs. Z did have good taste in music, no doubt about it). It was good, it was together. And it was the last Valentine’s Day they would have in a long time. 

1942 and Bucky was gone, off in England where Steve couldn’t follow. And 1943 was the same, Steve trying his damnedest to get to where Bucky was. It was past Valentine’s Day by the time he got to him, that awful camp with the Red Skull, the haunted look in Bucky’s eyes. Steve had been afraid that Bucky wouldn’t love him now that he was big, but he soon found out it was a stupid fear to have had. The only thing they had to fear was not surviving the war. 

They were too busy on Valentine’s Day 1944, and Steve regretted that intensely. He regretted a lot of things, but he really regretted not spending that Valentine’s Day with Bucky, since it should have been their last. 

And yet it wasn’t their last. The future came and they came with it, separately at first, until they finally came together. Steve spent four Valentine’s Days alone, his room in Stark Tower dark as he played old records and looked at those drawings, the only time he let himself dwell on the past at all. 

The Fifth year there was Bucky, as it was like the world had come to life again. They didn’t lay tangled together and they didn’t dance, but it was enough to have him there at all. It was enough to have the glint of recognition in Bucky’s eyes as Steve put on ‘their song’, the ghost of a smile when Steve offered Bucky his hand for a dance. It was graceful, it was as intimate as they had been since the fall, and it made Steve’s heart beat fast as he watched Bucky watch him. 

“I know you’d rather spend today with someone else. I remember that this day is important to you.” Bucky said, and Steve faltered in their dance. He looked at Bucky, eyes softening as he shook his head. 

“You said that to me once, on our first date. But do you know what? I would rather spend every day with you, more than anyone else.” He said, and Bucky stopped dancing, looking at Steve, expression almost blank, and Steve wondered if he had said too much, until a pair of hands reached up to his face, one hand cold and one hand warm as they stroked his cheeks. He smiled as he looked at Bucky, and leaned in for a kiss. It was awkward, another awkward beginning for them as they started in this new world. 

Unfortunately, Tony had the whole thing on video, as the two super soldiers tripped over each other AND fell over the couch in their rush to get at each other. It was by far the Avengers Favorite Valentine’s story, full of romance and angst and tragedy and so much love.


End file.
